Shares in Dr. Martens fell 31% at one point to 66p in morning trading - a new 52-week low - as the iconic British footwear brand issued a profit warning. The Camden Town-headquartered company said US wholesale revenue 'is anticipated to be double-digit down year-on-year,' adding 'the decline in wholesale has a significant impact on profitability, with a base assumption being in the region of...

Equities in London were firmly in the red Tuesday afternoon, with market confidence knocked by geopolitical tensions and US interest rate concerns, as a hat-trick of cuts by the Federal Reserve this year looks an increasingly distant prospect. The interest rate picture in the UK was muddied by the latest batch of jobless data. The unemployment rate rose, though pay growth remained sticky, givi...

Bargain stores giant B&M European Value Retail said it expects profits for the year ended 30 March 2024 will be at the 'top end' of previous guidance as the cash-generative discounter hailed a year of 'strong operational execution'. Yet shares in the variety goods value retailer softened 2% to 502p as investors focused on pedestrian-looking fourth quarter UK sales growth. This suggests B&M is...

The UK and Canada's largest tenpin bowling group Hollywood Bowl said first half revenue increased 8% to a record £119.2 million as UK revenue tipped over £100 million for the first time. The shares dipped 1.3% to 331p in a tough session with the mid-cap FTSE 250 index in the red to the tune of 1.5% after a sell-off in US equities as investors pared back interest rate cut expectations. Over...

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE US equities: time to diversify Fran Radano, Manager, The North American Income Trust The 'Magnificent Seven' has dwindled to just two stocks Investors need to ensure their US equity exposure is diversified The new economic environment requires greater caution Investors may need to rethink their approach to the US stock market. After a decade where a hand...

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Abby Glennie and Amanda Yeaman, managers of abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust The long-awaited turnaround in smaller companies is unlikely to happen just because shares are lowly-valued However, an improving economic and interest rate backdrop could spark renewed interest in the sector M&A activity is also providing support for the smaller companies se...

London's FTSE 100 opened sharply lower on Tuesday, as US interest rate worries and geopolitical tensions continued to cast a dark cloud over equity markets. Only Mondi traded higher, with even packaging peer DS Smith falling despite agreeing to a takeover from International Paper, the latest twist in a takeover saga that also involved Mondi. Mondi is yet to respond to the development. The FTSE...

Markets were gripped on Monday by concerns over how Israel might respond to Iran's recent drone strike, with commodity prices falling. The FTSE 100 index closed down 30.05 points, 0.4%, at 7,965.53. The FTSE 250 ended down 22.35 points, 0.1%, at 19,698.89, and the AIM All-Share closed down 5.63 points, 0.7%, at 750.28. The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 795.31, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 0.1%...

The FTSE 100 was lower on Monday at midday as the oil price declined despite high tensions between Iran and Israel, while the FTSE 250 was a tad higher. The FTSE 100 index was down 33.43 points, 0.4%, at 7,962.15. The FTSE 250 was up 12.21 points, 0.1%, at 19,733.45, and the AIM All-Share was down 4.01 points, 0.5%, at 751.90. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.5% at 795.86, the Cboe UK 250 was margin...

Private capital investment firm CVC Capital Partners hopes to get an IPO (initial public offering) away at the third attempt later this month. The London-based buyout giant, which owns stakes in Liptons Tea, upmarket watch maker Breitling, Six Nations Rugby as well as the commercial rights to French and Spanish top-flight football, has been plotting a stock market listing for years. CVC said t...

Shares in PageGroup fell 6% to 456p after the recruitment firm reported a 12.8% fall in group gross profit to £219.7 million for the first quarter of 2024. CEO Nicholas Kirk warned: 'The slower end to the fourth quarter of 2023 continued into the first quarter 2024, particularly within continental Europe. Overall, activity levels remain strong, however we experienced a slight deterioration i...

Inchcape's shares revved up 4.5% to 730p on news the global automotive distributor has agreed to sell its UK car retail operations to a US rival for £346 million in cash. The disposal, which follows a strategic review launched in January, will allow Inchcape to focus on its higher margin and more resilient global distribution business. The London-headquartered company also plans to return £...